Cream of Potato Soup

It's days like today that make me wonder how I'm going to handle another child. Yesterday, Evan was so good--he listened to me, was cooperative, and we even went swimming with minimal difficulty. I felt very pleased and proud. But then this morning happened. Evan began screaming at me the moment I started to dress him, and continued screaming and kicking through the dressing, teeth brushing, coat on, dragging outside, and wagon ride to school. Of course, once he got in the classroom he was fine, but whatever.

I called Mike at work and asked if I could take a personal day. Why doesn't motherhood work like that? I need some paid time off.

We're also working on potty training again. Along with social skills and speech, it's one of his new IEP goals, and we're trying our best to get him started on it. Right now, we're just supposed to sit him on the potty about twice a day. I have to hold Ev down on the darn thing for about 20 seconds, and then he screams about it for 45 minutes afterward. It's very frustrating, but right now we have no other options. Sometimes I wish everything wasn't so hard with him.

Lest this become an all negative post, I'll close with Evan's new tv habits. Evan doesn't watch a lot of tv, but he likes to work the remote and have the tv on. He'll put on whatever channel he likes best, hide the remote so we can't change it, and then proceed to go play something and not watch the show. But if we try to change the channel, we get hollered at. It's really very funny.

The only show Ev is into at all is "Wheel of Fortune". I think he's a big fan of all the letters and colors, not to mention the giant wheel ("The Price Is Right" is the same, but with numbers). Yes, I'd rather he watched something more geared for kids, but if he likes game shows that's okay with me. He's learning, and that's what matters.

So that's life at our house lately. Pat, I'd like to buy an "E".

Posted by jenny at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here's the thing with having another boy--we are not going to be able to name this child to save our souls. We had a heck of a time coming up with Evan's name, and once I settled upon it, no other name came close. How can we top what I consider to be the best name ever?

We had a list of girl's names as long as your arm, and it pains me that we can't use them. But for boys, we have nothing. Mike and I went through pages and pages of baby names last night, and I ended up in tears because I can't find anything that I like. Nothing. Everything was either too popular, too odd, sounded bad with our last name, etc. Nothing jumped out and said, this is the name. I know we've got a couple of months left, but if we can't even come up with a workable list, we are in very big trouble.

Perhaps it will be decided when the Steelers win next Sunday. Then there's no question--we'll have to name the baby Ben or Jerome.

Posted by jenny at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well, today was the big sonogram. And I have to say, it was pretty great. The baby looks perfect, big and healthy, everything growing as it should. We even got some of the sonogram done in 3D, and that was super cool. We could see baby's facial features very clearly, and even watch the little hands and arms move. I'll try to post some of the pictures in the next day or so.

And oh yeah, it's a boy! I know, Mike and I were kind of shocked too. We had a feeling this was a girl, everyone had guessed girl, every chart and old wives tale and Draino test said girl, and everyone was wrong (except cousin Linda). I will admit to being a little disappointed, as I've always wanted a daughter and this is going to be our last child. But I'm excited too--it will be great for Ev to have a little brother, and fun to have another little guy around the house. So we definitely feel blessed to be having a little boy, but it might be a few days before we get used to the idea! I'm just so relieved that he looks healthy and everything is growing as it should.

So that's the big news of the day. I'm exhausted after all the excitement, so I'm going to have a snack and head to bed. We're going to have two sons! Amazing. I just hope this doesn't mean the Steelers aren't going to win the Super Bowl.

Posted by jenny at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I'll be 20 weeks pregnant tomorrow, meaning we're halfway there already! Of course, that assumes that we'll be going the full 40, and you know what happens when you assume. But we are optimistic--I'm feeling pretty well, baby is very active, and there's as yet no cause for concern.

Wednesday is the big sonogram, and we plan to find out whether we're having a boy or a girl. I'm very anxious about this, and I feel like I've been waiting forever. I know there are a lot of people who choose not to find out, but I am certainly not one of those people. I am a planner, I enjoy visualizing, I relish the chance to start thinking of this baby as a he or a she instead of an "it". That's just me.

I'd love everyone to make some boy/girl predictions, and I'll give you a few tidbits to help you guess. This pregnancy has been totally different than my one with Evan, if that means anything to anyone. I've had lots of nausea but no vomiting, serious sensitivity to smells, back pain and my boobs are killing me. You can check the pics to see how I'm carrying (not sure if you'd call it high or low). I've been craving both salty and sweet, and eating constantly, but I've only gained a pound. I'm 29 and this baby was made in September, if you want to check those online birth predictors.

That all said, what do you think we'll be having? Post your vote in the comments, and we'll announce what's going on between those legs Wednesday night.

Posted by jenny at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Evan is four years old today. Four. It seems so strange--four years is a presidential term, or how long it took me to finish my B.A., not the age of my darling son. But somehow it's true, today Ev is four.

We've had a pretty good day, filled with chocolate cake and balloons and presents. Ev is loving all the attention. We opted not to have a big party this year, instead just having the grandparents and aunts and uncles over for a little visit. It worked out well, as Ev enjoyed himself but didn't get too worked up with all the commotion. It was a good way to celebrate this little milestone.

Last year, shortly before his birthday, I came up with a list of three things we wanted to accomplish for the year. All I can say is two out of three ain't bad. This year, I think we'll work on four things, because Ev is four.
1. Potty training (again)--he's got to get it sometime.
2. Improving speech--he's made excellent progress this year, but there's still lots of room for improvement.
3. Drinking from a cup--I know it sounds crazy, but this has been a real stumbling block for Ev. We'll try harder this year.
4. Accepting a new sibling--this might be the hardest one of all, but we'll give it our best.

Here's to another great year with our favorite little guy. I'm so proud of him, and so excited to spend another year learning and growing with him.

Posted by jenny at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ugh.

What a week this has been, and it's only Wednesday morning. But I've been sick since Sunday night, and things don't go well when I'm sick. I've been having terrible epigastric pain, and even when I ate nothing but dry toast I felt like hell. Mike convinced me to call the doctor yesterday morning, and I'm so glad he did. They saw me in the afternoon, and did a full workup. I'm still waiting on results from my bloodwork, and I need to schedule a gallbladder sonogram (remember all this?), but the NP is pretty sure it's just the GERD acting up. She put me on an over the counter acid reducer, and is willing to prescribe something stronger if that doesn't do the trick. But so far so good--I started on the meds last night and I'm finally starting to feel human again today. Hopefully we've found the solution that's going to keep me in good shape for the next 20 weeks or so.

Aside from my feeling like crap, baby's doing great. S/he is moving around a lot more now, and it's fun for me to notice through the day. I'm excited for the movement to get stronger, to the point where Mike will be able to feel it too. That was so much fun when Evan was in there--seeing a foot or a butt poke out at random times. Ah, the odd spectacle that is pregnancy.

Evan's doing very well too. He's talking so much more--Mike and I were noticing last night how much he says now, and how his pronunciation is improving. It's great to hear him chatter away when he's playing or has an opinion about something. He's getting so big and has such an interesting personality. Ev's very particular, but we find that very funny most of the time. He's also starting to recognize words, which is pretty cool. It's amazing how much he's changing every day.

That's all I guess. The world kind of passes you by when you're not feeling well, and I'm still coming out of that daze. Hopefully things will become clearer by the weekend!

Posted by jenny at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I heard that Erie got a little snow today. We lucked out down here and barely saw a dusting, so Mike and I thought it would be fun to head down to Grove City for some quick shopping. Mike was in the market for some new headphones (which we didn't find) and I was looking for a few things for Evan (which I did).

We stopped at our usual haunts (Sony, Adidas), and I found a few good bargains at the Old Navy Outlet. For the most part, the stuff there wasn't much cheaper than it is at a regular store. I was able to buy Ev a winter coat off the clearance rack--a nice warm red one for only $12. And I got it big enough that he'll be able to wear it next year and probably the year after that. So I was pretty pleased about that. I also got him an extra pair of fleece jammies at the Carter's Outlet (another store where the bargains are few and far between). He's worn out at least three pairs of his jammies from last year, so I figured one new pair would see us through the winter.

I did realize one important thing while we were shopping today. If this new baby is a girl, we are in some serious trouble. The clothes are just way too cute. I actually had to restrain myself from buying pink and frilly things today because we still don't know what kind of baby we've got. And if it was this hard when we're not sure, I can't imagine how hard it would be if I knew we were expecting a girl. I see a lot of money going out the window, that's for sure, because I'm a sucker for anything pink with little bunnies or rosebuds on it. Not to mention all the tiny hats. Yikes.

Posted by jenny at 3:38 PM | Permalink

Evan and I are coming to the end of a long week today, and it's welcome. Mike's been out of town at a conference since Tuesday, and he's coming home tonight. I usually do fine when he's gone, but this time it's been harder--Ev's been missing him a lot, I've been worn out and emotional, and I'll be glad when the evening rolls around. Never leave the preggo alone, it's just a bad idea.

Luckily, the weather has been fantastic. Ev and I have been able to spend some time outside, and I have a window open this morning to let the last of the fresh air in. It's nice, and it of course makes me anxious for spring. Even though this hasn't been a bad winter so far, I know we've got another two months (at least) and I'm not excited about that at all.

After reading this article, I've made it my civic duty to consume some chocolate every day. Evan was such a difficult baby, and if I can make this one more easy going by eating chocolate, I'm all for it. Far be it for me to stand in the way of science. I've mostly been sticking with Hershey's Kisses, but today I would like to have some sponge candy. Maybe I'll see if I can scare some up by the end of the day.

Posted by jenny at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The other day at dinner, Evan took two bites of baked potato and three bites of salad. Salad! And he didn't even gag. We haven't been forcing any food on him, but letting him pick what he wants, and he ate those off of my plate because he wanted to. Who is this kid?

Evan wants to go swimming every day. Every day. The first word he says every morning is "swimming", and from there the day becomes a huge struggle. Family swim doesn't start at our Y until 3:30, and try explaining that to Ev. 7 hours of arguing. I'm glad he loves to swim, and it's nice that he's so active, but some days it just drives me batty.

And actually taking him swimming wears me out--it's hard to get him out of the pool and changed to go home. Kind of like wrestling a bear. Once we do get home, I'm useless, and too tired to do another thing that day. That's why my house looks the way it does.

Baby's doing fine. S/he rolls around in my belly all day, and things seem to be going fine. I'm hoping that our sonogram in two weeks reveals everything growing as it should. I haven't been able to concentrate on this pregnancy like I did on Evan's, and I feel badly about that. Almost like if I don't think hard enough about this baby, something will go wrong. So irrational, but I'll tell you right now that it takes a lot of work to grow a kid, and I would hate for him/her to be missing fingernails or something because I wasn't paying attention.

Though the baby is well, I'm not as well. Anyone who was with me through the last pregnancy may remember my battle with upper abdominal pain beginning around my 27th week. Doctors thought I had a gigantic uterus, gallstones, and who knows what else, but we found out after Ev was born that my real problem was GERD. Fantastic. I was on Nexium for a while, and went off that about two years ago when we began trying to concieve again. Since then, I've been able to control things with diet and I've had no problems. Until this week, when it came back to visit.

Luckily, the pain wasn't as bad as it has been, and I was able to get things under control myself. But it would appear that my growing belly is placing a lot more pressure on my esophagus now, and I'll be dealing with symptoms and pain for the remainder of my pregnancy. I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep things happy with lots of water and Tums, sleeping with my head up in the air, but who knows? I'm just annoyed that it started up so early this time around--I was thinking I wouldn't have to deal with this for another two months or so. Just one more reminder of how much fun it is to be pregnant, at least at my house.

Posted by jenny at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Evan's birthday is only about two weeks away, if you can believe that. I've been thinking about what we will get him for a present, and I'd really like to get him a beanbag chair. Unfortunately, I haven't seen them anywhere (except online, and I'm not paying to ship that). So if anyone's seen beanbag chairs around for a reasonable price, please let me know. Evan would love it.

Speaking of birthday presents, Ev's Uncle Jer stopped by yesterday for a short visit on his way back to law school, and left us Evan's birthday present from him. I will tell you what it is, because Evan can't read yet. It's a bat, a real aluminum bat, just the right size for a four year old slugger. Very cool, and I know Evan will be so excited about it. Problem is, I'm afraid to let him see it or touch it. No people or cars or houses within a five mile radius would be safe. Maybe this summer we'll take him to the cages, or a field in the middle of nowhere.

In non-birthday news, I've started feeling the baby move in the last two days. It's just as exciting as I remember, though it will probably be less exciting two months from now when the somersaults are keeping me awake at night. Right now it's just little bubbles and flutters, and so nice to notice when I'm sitting or laying quietly. Every step that makes it seem more real is wonderful--from hearing the heartbeat to losing my waistline to feeling that first movement. I'm getting more anxious for our sonogram in three weeks, and to see our little peanut again.

Posted by jenny at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I think we've finally returned to our usual routine. Mike's back at work today, Evan's back at school, and things are settling down into their normal patterns. As much as I love the holidays, it's good for Evan to have his life back in order. He was really excited to return to class this morning, and I'm glad to have some quiet time to myself again.

We're spending more time at the Y lately too--we didn't get there at all over the break and we needed to get active again. Yesterday Ev and I went swimming while Mike worked out, and I went back in the evening for my "swimnastics" class. Though it's mostly older women, it's a nice easy workout for pregnant me and nice to get an hour to myself a few times a week. Hopefully keeping my butt moving will help me as I get larger and help me return to myself after baby arrives.

January is going to be a busy month for us. It always is, but I'm constantly surprised at how quickly the calendar fills every year. Birthdays, parties, doctor visits, Ev's new IEP, work stuff for Mike--hopefully we can keep our sanity through the next four weeks.

Posted by jenny at 9:40 AM | Permalink